FCI Butner Low, NC Inmate Roster

FCI Butner Low is a men’s low-level security Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina about 30 miles north of Raleigh. It currently holds 716 inmates. It opened in 1995 as a part of the Butner Federal Correctional Complex, which includes 2 medium-security prisons and a federal medical center.

Inmates at Butner Low Prison are houses in cubicles that can fit two to three inmates in one of four housing units. The unit director is in charge of coordinating and planning events for inmates and making sure that inmates are safe.

The unit director and the rest of the staff also ensure that inmates follow the rules and determine disciplinary actions when rules are broken.

Though it is a low-level security prison, this penitentiary still holds some famous inmates, mostly for white-collar crimes. Troy Titus who ran a Ponzi scheme and Samuel Israel who defrauded investors are both held here.

Inmate Locator

Before contacting or visiting an inmate, it’s advised that you search them on the Federal Bureau of Prisons site. Inmates can be moved to another facility before they have the chance to tell people they’re in contact with. This information is typically updated within 24 hours.

To conduct a free search to see if an inmate is incarcerated at FCI Butner Low, you will need their name and a number they’ve been registered under in the federal system. This number can be their eight-digit registration number or a Bureau of Prisons number. Searches can also be narrowed using the inmate’s sex, age, and race.

Visiting Requirements

Visitation is currently suspended at Butner Low Prison until further notice.

When visiting was still operational, it was up to the inmate and their loved ones to plan visits. All potential visitors have to be approved including lawyers. Potential visitors have to undergo a background check before they can visit. If visitors come before a background check can be completed, information from the pre-sentencing form can be used.

During the visit, visitors must follow a dress code. All dresses and skirts have to reach at least the knee and no hoodies or hooded shirts can be worn. Inmates and visitors have to engage in their conversations at a low-level volume to not disturb the other visitors. Visitors and inmates who do not follow these rules may be asked to end the visit.

Visiting days at FCI Butner Low are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Federal Holidays. Inmates receive 12 visiting points a month and can receive up to five adult visitors at a time.

Correspondence With Inmates

Inmates are highly encouraged to continue developing relationships with their community. Strengthening these bonds will help inmates re-enter their communities once they’re released from Butner Low Prison.

Writing Letters

Keeping in contact with loved ones in prison through letter writing is a great way to continue building relationships. To send a letter to an inmate at FCI Butner Low, do not send it to the prison using the prison address. Instead, use the following address and format

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI BUTNER LOW
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 999
BUTNER, NC 27509

All mail is opened and checked before being given to the inmate, both for letter content and to ensure that no contraband is being transported in the letter. Inmates can receive photographs in the mail but it cannot show any sexual acts or nudity.

Making Phone Calls

Inmates can also build community relationships by making phone calls to the loved ones. Inmates pay for the phone calls that they make. All calls must be monitored to ensure that nothing illegal is being discussed. Inmates may get an unmonitored phone call with a lawyer under certain circumstances.

Sending Emails

Inmates can also stay connected to their family and friends through the use of email. Butner Low Prison allows inmates to send and receive emails through TRULINCS. This service is paid for by inmates, both directly and through commissary profits.

Before an inmate and their correspondent can send and receive emails, they both have to be approved and agree to have their messages monitored.  Emails can only contain text and each message can have up to 13,000 characters or about 2 pages.

Inmate Daily Life

The general wake-up call at FCI Butner Low is at 6:00 am. Units are called to breakfast on a rotating schedule and inmates can leave for breakfast at that time if they want to eat. Inmates are responsible for getting to their job assignments on time.

Inmates must also get used to being ready for daily counts. Counts ensure that inmates haven’t escaped and are accounted for. At Butner Low Prison, inmates need to be in their cell by their bed for the daily counts. On weekdays this count happens at 4:00 pm and on weekends and Federal Holidays it’s at 10:00 am.

Inmates are also responsible for keeping their appointments. The appointment schedule is posted at 4:00 pm the day before through the call-out system. Inmates need to check for any appointments and go to them. Emergency appointments will be handled as quickly as possible.

When inmates are assigned their cell, they should check for any damages. They can be held responsible for any damages in the cell. Inmates are responsible for keeping their cell clean by making their bed and sweeping the floor.

Cells have to be tidy and organized with no items, including pictures, attached to the walls. Inmates have a locker where they can store personal items. Lockers have to be clean on the inside and outside. Items cannot accumulate to become a fire or sanitation hazard.

Commissary Shopping

Inmates can purchase personal items at the prison commissary. Items for sale at FCI Butner Low include clothing items, snacks, and personal hygiene products. Inmates are issued clothing and hygiene products but the commissary sells some name brand products. Some products for sale need approval by prison staff.

All purchases are made from the inmate’s commissary account. Inmates are responsible for knowing how much money they have. At Butner Low Prison inmates are limited to spending $290 a month. Inmates can get money in their accounts from job assignments and money deposits from family and friends.

Money Deposits

Family and friends can deposit money to an inmate’s commissary account. Inmates cannot carry cash with them at any time while incarcerated at FCI Butner Low and money cannot be mailed directly to the inmate to either the prison address or the address to send mail to inmates.

Money orders can be sent to inmates through USPS. All money orders need to be addressed to the central processing center in Iowa. When addressing the letter you will need the inmate’s name and eight-digit registration number.

Money can also be deposited through MoneyGram and Western Union. These deposits can be done over the phone or online. To complete a deposit you will need the name and registration number of the inmate. Most deposits made before 9:00 pm eastern time will be processed within two to four hours and processing happens every day.

Inmate Learning Opportunities

Butner Low Prison is committed to ensuring that inmates have education opportunities that will help them beyond prison. No matter where an inmate’s education desires and goals take them, the penitentiary can help them reach those goals.

Upon entering the facility, inmates have their literacy abilities tested. Those who do not have a high school diploma or a GED must take literacy classes to prepare for the test. Inmates who speak English as a second language must take classes to ensure that they have at least an eighth grade level of fluency.

Once inmates have reached this level, they can continue their education in the direction they choose. Adult continuing education courses are taught through the local community colleges and give inmates the chance to learn computer skills. Inmates can also teach select classes.

Inmates can also learn about several occupational and vocational trades, including carpentry, office system technology, and electrical. These courses are offered through the local technical school.

Education is more than courses and learning technical skills. Inmates who are parents can participate in parenting classes to learn how to connect with their children while they’re behind bars. Inmates can also learn about childhood development and appropriate discipline methods.

Counseling for Inmates

Every unit at FCI Butner Low has a psychologist assigned to help inmates and provide counseling. When an inmate enters the penitentiary they must undergo a psychological screening that will determine what counseling courses and treatment they may need. Psychological services are also available upon request.

Unit leaders can also provide informal counseling sessions to inmates when needed. They also lead formal group therapy sessions.

Inmates who are incarcerated for drug or alcohol abuse must take the forty-hour drug education program. Courts can also recommend that inmates take this program as well. Inmates can also choose to address any addiction problem further in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Butner Low Prison has a fully staffed mental hospital with medical doctors for inmates who need medication. Inmates can visit this hospital on the recommendation of a psychologist.

The counseling programs are designed to help inmates manage their lives in prison and to find the right tools to stay mentally healthy after release. Inmates can voluntarily take anger management courses and participate in self-image groups.

Legal Services for Inmates

Inmates are entitled to receive appropriate legal services while incarcerated. FCI Butner Low has a legal library that inmates can access to conduct research and make copies of any documents. The legal library is open on weekends and holidays and a worker will help inmates find the right materials.

Any copies that an inmate wants to make needs to be paid for by the inmate’s commissary account. If an inmate doesn’t have any money and a high need for the documents, they can fill out a request form to get the fees covered or waived.

Legal correspondence with a lawyer is covered as special correspondence when appropriately labeled. This means that the mail cannot be opened without the inmate present. The inmate is responsible for telling their lawyer about special correspondence and how to label letters as such.

Inmates can receive visits from their lawyers. Lawyers have to go through the same visitation requirements as other visitors, including a background check. Inmates and lawyers are responsible for planning their visitation schedule. Lawyer visitations usually happen during normal visiting hours but accommodations can be arranged for specific circumstances.

Legal material can be exchanged during a visit. Any legal material must be inspected for contraband as if it were special correspondence before the inmate returns to their cell. Legal material is encouraged to be mailed as much as possible.

Preparing for Release

The main goal of FCI Butner Low is to prepare inmates for a successful release. As inmates get closer to their release dates, they may find their needs changing and the facility is prepared to meet those needs. Even after getting a certificate for a job and learning psychological tools to manage stress, inmates may need more planning to focus on life after prison.

Inmates can be released early from their sentence for good behavior when they have followed the rules of Butner Low Prison without any disciplinary actions. Extreme acts of heroism and bravery may also get an inmate’s early release.

Upon release, many inmates will have to prepare to meet with parole and probation officers. These officers ensure that former inmates are staying out of legal trouble and integrating into their communities. FCI Butner Low helps inmates prepare for meeting with their parole and probation officers.

If an inmate needs help securing a job after a release, they may be eligible for a residential reentry program. These programs provide a place for the former inmate to live and helps them find tools that will help them find jobs and lead successful lives after prison. They can provide a place for a former inmate to live as they re-establish any family ties as well.

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